This description generally relates to medical instruments, and particularly to surgical tools for use in various types of surgeries, including laparoscopic, endoscopic, endoluminal and open surgeries.
Robotic technologies have a range of applications. In particular, robotic arms help complete tasks that a human would normally perform. For example, factories use robotic arms to manufacture automobiles and consumer electronics products. Additionally, scientific facilities use robotic arms to automate laboratory procedures such as transporting microplates. In the medical field, physicians have started using robotic arms to help perform surgical procedures.
In a surgical robotic system, a robotic arm is connected to an instrument device manipulator, e.g., at the end of the robotic arm, and is capable of moving the instrument device manipulator into any position within a defined work space. The instrument device manipulator can be detachably coupled to a surgical tool, such as a steerable catheter for endoscopic applications or any of a variety of laparoscopic and endoluminal instruments. The instrument device manipulator imparts motion from the robotic arm to control the position of the surgical tool, and it may also activate controls on the instrument, such as pull-wires to steer a catheter. Additionally, the instrument device manipulator may be electrically and/or optically coupled to the instrument to provide power, light, or control signals, and may receive data from the instrument such as a video stream from a camera on the instrument.
During use, a surgical tool is connected to the instrument device manipulator so that the instrument is away from a patient. The robotic arm then advances the instrument device manipulator and the instrument connected thereto towards a surgery site within the patient. In a laparoscopic procedure, the instrument is moved through a port in a body wall of the patient. The robotic arm is capable of manipulating the instrument in multiple degrees of freedom, including pitch, yaw and insertion. Typically, a robotic arm provides all of these degrees of freedom.
With respect to insertion, a robotic arm typically has a linear insertion axis to provide the insertion degree of freedom. Difficulties can arise when the robotic arm is responsible for the linear insertion of an instrument. In particular, the mass of the robotic arm (alone or in combination with an instrument) can lead to a heavy swung mass and reduce performance at shallow insertion depths. In addition, reliance on the robotic arm for insertion reduces the working space available for a surgeon or assistant during a robotic surgical procedure. Accordingly, there is a need to reduce reliance on the robotic arm when linearly inserting an instrument.